Survivalist strategies, Emotive Impulses

Last month we invited our thinkers to respond to the question, ‘how are you making the money go further?’ using the video function on their smartphones. They showed us into their homes, how they are budgeting better, how their shopping habits have changed, how they are changing their meal occasions, and how they perceive value between own label and branded products (FMCG). Email us via watchmethink.com if you want to see any of those films (approx 4 mins each).

Lots of themes came out of it – survivalist strategies (detailed below), consumers being in need of guidance, and how they are undergoing conscious reassessment. Again, interested in more… then get in contact via the site.

a. Suzy cites bulk buying as a method of preparing for an ‘emergency’:

[I] store [it] in the freezer so that in an emergency I don’t have to run out to the local shop and buy something that would have been a lot cheaper if I had just bought it in bulk. (Suzy)

b. The Lloyds go bargain-seeking at all of the supermarkets (aside from Waitrose/M&S for obvious reasons):

I spread our shopping over lots of different shops and saves us a lot of money so Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Lidl’s just to get as many offers as possible

c. Pam stocks up on Waitrose body wash – which she terms expensive but worth it – , visiting different branches if necessary:

you have to go to lots of lots of different Waitrose to try and get them because they are always sold out […] I have probably got about ten in my product [sic] and I have ten bodywashes in my cupboard, as it is very difficult to get hold of like I said.

All of this shows an unwillingness to give up favourite products and brands, a powerful get-it-no-matter-what mentality. Consumers don’t just want to get through the crisis: the want to get through it with a larder (or 21st century equivalent) full of their favourite products. It’s the bunker mentality, but as applied to Kelloggs[1] and Quaker’s.[2]

[1] Suzy: ‘I also prefer Kellogg’s rice Krispies I have tasted others but they are never as good as Kellogg’s which I like. I always tend to buy Pampers baby nappies because they are softer and Pampers baby wipes as they are thicker and they don’t rip’

[2] Laura: ‘I tried Sainsbury’s own version of Quaker Oat So Simple but I didn’t like them it was really gloopy and thick and mushy so I have gone back to Quaker’s even though they are a little bit more’